Wild Rice Lake

Wild Rice Lake is a gravity dam located in St. Louis County, Minnesota, built in 1907. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.

About Wild Rice Lake

The primary purpose of Wild Rice Lake is hydroelectric. The dam generates hydroelectric power by channeling water through turbines, converting the energy of flowing water into electricity. The dam is owned by Allete, Inc. (private). It impounds the Beaver River near Cloquet.

The dam stands 11 feet tall and stretches 750 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 2,688 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 9,600 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 22 square miles. Completed in 1907, the structure is over a century old.

This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/27/2019.

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Low HazardSatisfactory ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateMinnesota
CountySt. Louis
Nearest CityCloquet
River/StreamBeaver River
Coordinates46.90950, -92.16250

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeGravity
NID Height11 ft
Dam Height11 ft
Dam Length750 ft
Year Completed1907 (119 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage9,600 acre-ft
Max Storage9,600 acre-ft
Normal Storage7,936 acre-ft
Surface Area2,688 acres
Drainage Area22 sq mi
Max Discharge1,200 cfs
Spillway TypeControlled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeHydroelectric
OwnerAllete, Inc.
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentSatisfactory
Last Inspection08/27/2019
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDMN00613
Federal IDMN00613
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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